CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

Gartner has predicted that more than 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by 2027 over escalating costs, unclear value or weak risk controls. — Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 Work begins on JetZero’s first demonstrator This aircraft is intended to prove JetZero’s calculations on aerodynamics, structures, manufacturing, and flight controls. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026 Beijing maintains strict controls over religion, which has led to the rise of underground churches. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 July 2026 This plan covers up to nine devices and combines ad blocking, privacy protection, malware filtering, and parental controls into a single package. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 Anthropic had objected to the government’s decision to impose export controls in a blog post announcing that the two systems had been disabled. — Josh Wingrove, Fortune, 27 June 2026 On Friday afternoon a small plane appeared to evade some of the world’s strictest aviation controls and slam into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing, the 109-story CITIC Tower that dominates the city’s skyline, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 It was not immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones. — ABC News, 27 June 2026 Anthropic rolled out a series of controls in August that allow customers to provision users, view analytics and set spending limits at the organization and individual level. — Ashley Capoot,kate Rooney, CNBC, 26 June 2026

Verb

History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Even Realities, which was founded in 2023, launched the Even G2 smart glasses with a bigger display in a lighter frame late last year, alongside the Even R1, a smart ring that controls the display of the G2. — Jenny Lee,anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 July 2026 Who controls your access to credit, customers, insurance, healthcare, retirement savings, or future opportunity? — Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Though more popular for your skin, when applied to your scalp and strands, the ingredient sloughs off buildup, soothes irritation, reduces dandruff, and controls oil production. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 July 2026 The company controls more than a third of the VLCCs that would be able to reach the Persian Gulf in the next two weeks, according to shipbrokers’ estimates. — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026 China controls a massive share of global rare-earth mining (about 60%) and refining (over 90%). — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026 The Central African country is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and controls vast stores of copper, gold, and lithium; its mining sector is estimated to hold $24 trillion of mineral value. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 3 July 2026 The throttle that controls the aircraft’s engine power originated from an F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet that operates from aircraft carriers, whereas the stick comes from an F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of 3 nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026
Engineers are unsure of the condition of Swift’s thermal insulation, and ground controllers will take a cautious approach to determining where and when Link’s robotic arms can capture the satellite.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026

Definition of controllers

Noun

While committing the robberies Fleming drew a gun, and wore all black covering his face with a ski mask and goggles, and his hands with gloves, authorities said.

— Mary Ella Hastings July 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026

Definition of hands

Noun

Rodríguez Castro helps oversee GAESA, has a hand in its operations and acts as a liaison between the organization and his grandfather.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Catalan Fire Service head of operations Eduard Martinez said the blaze had a perimeter of 25 miles and firefighters may not be able to bring it under control on Sunday, EFE said.

— Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of operations

Noun

Canberra and Wellington are two of the South Pacific's biggest powers and have grown anxious about Beijing's attempts to vie for sway in the region.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Rather than drawing regional powers into its orbit, the test will likely push them to deepen defense ties with one another to counter China's growing military might, according to analysts.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 July 2026

Definition of powers

Verb

The Federal Aviation Administration regulates the airspace, and drone owners are responsible for knowing and abiding by those restrictions.

— Kelly O'Donnell, NBC news, 5 July 2026
The Clean Air Act is the federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources and governs air pollution.

— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of regulates

Verb

The 585-acre neighborhood contains 5 million square feet of office space, including 250,000 square feet of medical offices where John Muir Health has been expanding.

— George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
The ancient Moa Eggshell Cave in New Zealand contains the remains of several extinct animal species lost approximately a million years ago.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 6 July 2026

Definition of contains

Verb

If the business rules live in tribal knowledge, AI surfaces the gaps.

— Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Pahira's death comes as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made tightening commercial driver licensing rules a top priority following multiple fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL holders over the past two years.

— Elaine Mallon , James Cirrone , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026